Bicycle sidecar

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present Application is related to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/380,768 entitled “Bicycle sidecar” and filed 15 May 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to sidecars and, in particular, to an apparatus and method for attaching a sidecar to a powered vehicle such as a bicycle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bicycle sidecars are known in the present state of the art. For example, U. S. Pat. No. 4,378,121 issued to Rans discloses a sidecar with a frame having three attachment ends. U. S. Pat. No. 5,248,158 issued to Ellard discloses a sidecar frame assembly joined by two connecting assemblies. U. S. Pat. No. 5,292,142 issued to Vitarelli discloses a bicycle sidecar having four elongated mounting members. U. S. Pat. No. 6,311,997 issued to Lepley discloses a sidecar configuration utilizing a single U-shaped tube. However, the present state of the art does not appear to disclose a sidecar configuration which provides for safe and reliable operation on various types of terrain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A sidecar assembly is disclosed which includes a support body assembly for releasable attachment to a bicycle or other mobile device. The attachment is provided by a rear actuator arm assembly, a front actuator arm assembly, and a rear stabilizer assembly, each attachment assembly having at least one hinged connection to allow for movement of the sidecar relative to the mobile device. In alternative embodiments, ball joints or other universal-type joints can be used in place of one or more of the hinged connections. The sidecar assembly includes a passenger seat and a support body with a rear wheel and a front caster wheel assembly configured such that most of the mass of the support body and sidecar passenger lies over the wheels and is not coupled to the mobile device. The sidecar assembly may also include a roll bar, a safety harness or seat belt system, a rear storage compartment and utilizes a roll bar hinge assembly and a nose hinge assembly for mating with the rear and front actuator arm assemblies respectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram showing a side view of a conventional bicycle attached to a sidecar with a rear actuator arm assembly, a front actuator arm assembly, and a rear stabilizer assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the bicycle and sidecar of FIG. 1 in a standing configuration;

FIG. 3 is a detail view of the rear actuator arm assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the front actuator arm assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an illustrative top view diagram of the rear stabilizer assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an illustrative front view diagram of the rear stabilizer assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the rear stabilizer assembly of FIG. 1 in a first position;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the rear stabilizer assembly of FIG. 1 in a second position;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the bicycle and sidecar of FIG. 1 in a turning configuration;

FIG. 10 is a front view of the bicycle and sidecar of FIG. 1 on uneven terrain;

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic top view of a support body assembly as used in the sidecar of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic side view of the support body assembly of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatical illustration showing side and front views of a preferred embodiment of the front caster assembly for the sidecar of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 14 is an illustrative diagram showing a rear view of the bicycle and the sidecar of FIG. 1 with an optional sidecar braking assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

There is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a conventional bicycle <b>10</b> attached to a support body assembly <b>21</b> by an articulation system <b>30</b>. The support body assembly <b>21</b> and the articulation system <b>30</b> form a sidecar assembly <b>20</b>. In a typical application, a rider (not shown) is seated on the bicycle <b>10</b>, or other mobile device, providing motive power and one or two passengers (not shown) ride in the sidecar assembly <b>20</b>. The support body assembly <b>21</b> includes a rear body wheel <b>23</b> and a front caster assembly <b>25</b>, described in greater detail below.

The articulation system <b>30</b> includes a rear actuator arm assembly <b>31</b>, a front actuator arm assembly <b>35</b>, and a rear stabilizer assembly <b>40</b>. As shown with additional reference to FIG. 3, the rear actuator arm assembly <b>31</b> includes a rear actuation tube <b>32</b>, a rear actuation compression tube <b>33</b>, and a rear collar <b>34</b>. The rear actuation tube <b>32</b> is releasably attached to an upper surface <b>2</b>la of the support body assembly <b>21</b> by a hinge configuration, the rear actuation compression tube <b>33</b> is releasably attached to the bicycle <b>10</b> by another hinge configuration, and the rear collar <b>34</b> loosens and tightens the rear compression tube <b>33</b> onto the rear actuation tube <b>32</b> to allow for extension and shortening of the rear actuator assembly <b>31</b> as desired to position the support body assembly <b>21</b> relative to the bicycle <b>10</b>.

With additional reference to FIG. 4, the front actuator arm assembly <b>35</b> includes a front actuation tube <b>36</b>, a front actuation compression tube <b>37</b>, and a front collar <b>38</b>. The front actuation tube <b>36</b> is releasably attached to the upper surface <b>21</b><i>a </i>of the support body assembly <b>21</b> by a hinge configuration, the front actuation compression tube <b>37</b> is releasably attached to the bicycle <b>10</b> by another hinge configuration, and the front collar <b>38</b> loosens and tightens the front compression tube <b>37</b> onto the front actuation tube <b>36</b> to allow for extension and shortening of the front actuator assembly <b>35</b> as desired to position the support body assembly <b>21</b> relative to the bicycle <b>10</b>. The hinged attachments of the rear actuator arm assembly <b>31</b> and the front actuator arm assembly <b>35</b> thus allow the support body assembly <b>21</b> to articulate from side to side in turns, in mimicry of the natural lateral motion of the bicycle <b>10</b>. This configuration further allows for the releasable attachment of essentially any bicycle frame type to the sidecar assembly <b>20</b> by the use of hinged alignment clamps <b>12</b> and <b>14</b>, as is well known in the relevant art. Preferably, each of the hinged alignment clamps <b>12</b> and <b>14</b> at the bicycle <b>10</b> include a locking detent pin <b>11</b> that allows for quick disconnection from the bicycle <b>10</b> when the sidecar <b>20</b> is not being used. This avoids the need to disassemble the bicycle-attaching clamps (not shown) and lose the established bicycle-to-sidecar alignments.

The rear stabilizer assembly <b>40</b> is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a top view of the rear stabilizer assembly <b>40</b>, and FIG. 6 is a side view of the rear stabilizer assembly <b>40</b>. The rear stabilizer assembly <b>40</b> includes a body section <b>41</b>, a transfer section <b>43</b>, and a drop out section <b>45</b>. The body section <b>41</b> is connected to the transfer section <b>43</b> by a hinge <b>47</b>, and the transfer section <b>43</b> is connected to the drop out section <b>45</b> by a hinge <b>49</b>. The drop out section <b>45</b> is attached to a rear wheel <b>17</b> of the bicycle <b>10</b> at the bicycle axle near the derailleur drop out and the derailleur-side chain stay. The body section <b>41</b> is attached to a lower surface <b>21</b><i>b </i>of the support body assembly <b>21</b>. As can be appreciated by one skilled in the relevant art, the length of the transfer section <b>43</b> is selected to provide for the minimum safe spacing between the support body assembly <b>21</b> and the bicycle <b>10</b>.

Operation of the rear stabilizer assembly <b>40</b> is illustrated by the diagrams of FIGS. 7 and 8. As the support body assembly <b>21</b> moves relative to the bicycle <b>10</b>, the relative position of the body section <b>41</b> to the drop out section <b>45</b> changes, but the body section <b>41</b> continues to maintain a 90° angle to the drop out section <b>45</b>. This can be seen in FIG. 9, where the bicycle <b>10</b> and the sidecar assembly <b>20</b> are in the process of turning, and in FIG. 10, where the bicycle <b>10</b> is riding on a roadway surface <b>51</b> and the sidecar assembly <b>20</b> is riding on a raised surface <b>53</b> such as a curb.

In an alternative configuration (not shown), one or both of rear actuator arm assembly <b>31</b> and the front actuator arm assembly <b>35</b> comprises a ball joint connection instead of a hinge, or other such universal-joint type connections, at the support body <b>21</b>. In yet another alternative configuration, the front actuation arm assembly <b>35</b> is not used when geometric restraints will not allow the front actuation arm head tube brackets (not shown) to fit properly. Preferably, the rear stabilizer assembly <b>40</b> is sufficiently strong to withstand the resultant torque loading sustained without the presence of the front actuation arm assembly <b>35</b>.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the support body assembly <b>21</b> comprises a body shell <b>61</b> that incorporates structural support members as part of the body. In a preferred embodiment, polyethylene is used for the body shell <b>61</b>, but any comparable material such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or any number of plastics can be used. An alternative support body assembly (not shown) can be used that requires a separate frame to provide the necessary rigidity. A bottom surface <b>62</b> of the support body assembly <b>21</b> is located below the center of the axle of the rear body wheel <b>23</b>, with the back of a height-adjustable passenger seat <b>63</b> forward of the rear body wheel <b>23</b>. This configuration provides a low center of gravity for the mass of both the sidecar assembly <b>20</b> and a seated passenger (not shown). This positioning of the support body <b>21</b> assembly serves to distribute the body/passenger load directly onto the rear body wheel <b>23</b> and a front caster assembly <b>25</b> and thereby relieves direct weight load onto the bicycle <b>10</b>. Moreover, the support body assembly <b>21</b> can be internally modified to accommodate two children without changing the overall exterior dimensions. Alternatively, the support body assembly <b>21</b> can be designed to accommodate a disabled adult by extending the overall length and width of the mid-section of the support body assembly <b>21</b>.

The support body assembly <b>21</b> preferably also includes a roll bar <b>65</b>, a five-point adjustable safety harness or seat belt system <b>67</b>, and a rear storage compartment (not shown) beneath a rear storage deck lid <b>69</b>. A roll bar hinge assembly <b>71</b> is provided on the roll bar <b>65</b>, and a nose hinge assembly <b>73</b> is provided on the nose of the support body assembly <b>21</b> for attachment to respective mating hinge components on the articulation system <b>30</b>, as described above.

Cinch blocks <b>75</b> may be provided for adjustment of the five-point seat belt system <b>67</b>. Also, there may be included a windshield <b>77</b>, a removable canopy <b>79</b>, an underbody storage compartment (not shown), and front and rear lighting systems (not shown) to provide night visibility. The canopy <b>79</b> can be removed by grasping a canopy release/handle <b>81</b> and sliding the canopy <b>79</b> rearward on a canopy guide rail <b>83</b>. The windshield <b>77</b> can be removed by detaching from a windshield rail <b>85</b>. A pair of rear wheel dropouts <b>87</b> connected to a rear base <b>64</b> of the body shell <b>61</b> are used for attachment of the rear wheel assembly <b>23</b>.

There are two design criteria invoked when determining positioning and attachment of the sidecar assembly <b>20</b> to the bicycle <b>10</b>, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. First, that there is sufficient clearance for the bicycle pedal <b>13</b> on the sidecar side of the bicycle <b>10</b> to allow for normal pedal rotation while both the sidecar assembly <b>20</b> and the bicycle <b>10</b> are leaning into a turn. Second, that there is sufficient clearance between the bicycle <b>10</b> and the front end of the support body assembly <b>21</b> so that at no time will the support body assembly <b>21</b> come into contact with the front bicycle wheel <b>15</b> during normal operation. As long as these two design criteria are met, the support body assembly <b>21</b> can be attached in essentially any position beside the bicycle <b>10</b>. It can be appreciated by one skilled in the relevant art that some bicycle/sidecar configurations result in reduced commanded responses because the lag time of the required response from the sidecar has been increased.

As shown in FIG. 13, the front caster assembly <b>25</b> is preferably a “trailing” caster design in a “leading” caster position. The front caster assembly <b>25</b> can be attached to the support body assembly <b>21</b> in any manner known in the art, including the use of bolts, lock washers or a thread-locking compound (such as a Loctite® product), and threaded inserts thermally bonded to the support body assembly <b>21</b>. Although a generic trailing caster assembly can be used for the front caster assembly <b>25</b>, a modified R. T. Laird model 33 aluminum shock-absorbing caster modified to hold a 12-inch diameter, 2-inch wide bicycle wheel is preferred. The shock-absorbing caster increases the effective size of the 12-inch wheel to provide a smoother ride. A smaller, thinner wheel can be used in the suspension assembly, but will inherently provide less cushion against the shocks of potholes, bumps, and cracks. Moreover, there will result some loss of response when riding over soft or sand shoulders on the road.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rear body wheel <b>23</b> is preferably a standard 27-inch bicycle wheel. As described above, the rear body wheel <b>23</b> is connected to the support body assembly <b>21</b> by the pair of rear-wheel dropouts <b>87</b>. As can be appreciated by one skilled in the relevant art, the rear wheel dropouts <b>87</b> can be bolted directly to the support body assembly <b>21</b> by the use of bolts, lock washers or a thread-locking compound, and threaded inserts thermally bonded to the body assembly <b>21</b>.

The support body assembly <b>21</b> is further aerodynamically designed to produce a downward force at the nose, the downward force increasing with increased riding speed. The overall sloping body design of the support body assembly <b>21</b> provides for a downward force primarily to the front caster assembly <b>25</b>, and a rear spoiler <b>89</b> provides for a downward force primarily to the rear body wheel <b>23</b>. By varying the diameters of the front caster assembly <b>25</b> or the rear body wheel <b>23</b>, these downward forces can be modified to increase or decrease the lift caused by the air while the sidecar assembly <b>20</b> is in motion. The rear body wheel <b>23</b> and the front caster assembly <b>25</b> are parallel, to the wheels <b>15</b> and <b>17</b> of the bicycle <b>10</b> while traveling along a straight, level line. Because the turning radius for the sidecar assembly <b>20</b> is different from the turning radius of the bicycle <b>10</b>, the axis of the sidecar assembly <b>20</b> changes from that of the bicycle <b>10</b> during turns. This radial difference is compensated for by the front caster assembly <b>25</b>, which is allowed to “free wheel”.

In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 14, a braking system <b>91</b> is included on the rear body wheel <b>23</b> of the sidecar assembly <b>20</b>. The braking system <b>91</b> can be activated with the same mechanism used to apply a brake <b>18</b> on the bicycle <b>10</b>.

While the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood that the present invention is by no means limited to the particular constructions and methods herein disclosed and/or shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the claims.